Special Warfare Operator Jason D. Lewis

DAVE ALTIMARIThe Hartford Courant

Navy SEAL Jason D. Lewis, a Brookfield native and special warfare operator first class, was killed in combat July 6, 2007 in Baghdad. He was 30 years old, and left a wife and three children in Virginia.

A 30-year-old Navy SEAL who was a Brookfield native was killed Friday by an improvised explosive device during a combat mission in Baghdad, military officials confirmed on Saturday.

Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason D. Lewis was one of three sailors killed by the bomb. Naval officials would not release any more details on how or where Lewis was killed or what the sailors were doing when the bomb exploded, citing security concerns.

Lewis is survived by his wife, Donna, and three children who live in Virginia Beach, Va. Donna Lewis is also from Brookfield.

A woman who answered the phone at the Brookfield home of Donna Lewis' parents, John and Doris Tyransky, Saturday evening said the family was referring all questions to the Navy and would not have a comment on the death.

Lewis is the 40th active duty service member with ties to Connecticut to have been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. He is the second from Brookfield to die in Iraq. Marine Lance Cpl. John T. Schmidt III, 21, died in March 2005 from injuries suffered during a firefight near Fallujah.

The other sailors killed on the mission with Lewis Friday were Steven P. Daugherty, 28, of California and Robert R. McRill, 42, of Florida.

``Petty Officers Lewis, Daugherty and McRill were patriots in the truest sense. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends, and teammates during this very difficult time. They had a combined 34 years of dedicated service to our country,'' said Capt. Chaz Heron, commander, Naval Special Warfare Group Two.

``These sailors embodied the Navy core values of honor, courage, and commitment, time and again in training and on the battlefield. The Naval Special Warfare family will miss them and will ensure they are never forgotten.''

Lewis enlisted in the Navy July 22, 1996, and graduated from Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. In February 1997, Lewis entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif.

Lewis completed advanced SEAL training courses including parachute training at Basic Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga., before being assigned to a West Coast-based SEAL team in October 1997. He reported to the Naval Special Warfare Center, Coronado, Calif., in March 2004, and transferred to an East Coast-based SEAL team in January 2006.